Leading Lady is queen of the three-year-olds

LEADING LADY proved beyond any doubt she is queen oiver the 2017 crop of three-year-olds, in easily beating her peers in winning the Gleneagle Stakes on a sloppy track at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, on Republic Day, Monday.

Chevan Maharaj’s daughter of Adore The Gold /My Legacy simply bolted up to score4 by 2 1/4 length while being eased down near the finish of the 1750 metres $75,000 event.

It was a third classic victory on the trot for the John O’Brientrained filly after winning the Midsummer Classic and blue riband Massy United Insurance Trinidad Derby, to raise her earnings to date to $538,720.

Watched by a surprisingly large crowd, Leading Lady was always prominent in the Gleneagle, and 2015 champion jockey Prayven Badrie sent his mount to challenge her front-running stablemate Rocket Wheels 600 metres out and comfortably swept into the lead in the stretch and it was all over.

The one-eyed filly Blind Date surprised in finishing a game third to make it a 1-2-3 for trainer O’Brien.

Whisper Light continued his prolific run with a workmanlike performance in repeating last year’s triumph in the $100,000 Diamond Stakes.

Veteran rider Ricky Jadoo had his mount at the top of his field from the outset, joined by Conquest Bespoke, and after a short breather he ran on strongly to win by ½ length.

Bigman In Town failed in his bid to equal the feat of Bruceontheloose by winning the feature Caribbean Champion Stakes for a fourth time.

When jockey Sheldon Rodrigo took Baskaran Bassawh’s champion to the front 600 metres out, he looked all over a winner, but the three-year-old Battle Cry was brought with a resolute stretch run by jockey Brian Boodramsingh to deny the”Big man”.

For Battle Cry, also trained by O’Brien, it was a pleasant return to form for Anthony Wight’s 2016 champion two-year-old.

Once again O’Brien dominated his peers saddling three winners including two of the three feature races, while current champion trainer Glenn Mendez was not far behind saddling two winners.

Jadoo and Kerron Khelawan shared honours among jockeys, both landing two winners each